Hello! I’m Gary Panton. I write books that are mainly supposed to be for children, but grown-ups are allowed to read them too. Here are some things that you probably don’t know about me:

• I’m a big fan of ghost stories, horror movies and spooky podcasts.
• When I was little, my mum used to let me and my sister watch old Dracula and Frankenstein movies, but we always had cushions to hide behind so thankfully the experience didn’t damage us too much.
• One of my favourite books when I was a kid was The Wicked One by Mollie Hunter. It’s about a family in the Scottish Highlands who are terrorised by an invisible monster. Isn’t that great? I mean, not for the family obviously, but it was great for me to read about.
• I’m currently midway through an incredibly important project, which involves tasting and rating every single sandwich from the Tesco meal deal aisle.
• I’m a lifelong fan of the Scottish football team St Johnstone FC. If you don’t have a football team that you support yet, might I suggest that you choose them? Thanks.
• I was chased by a turkey once. I was only about 10 at the time, but seriously, I can’t stop thinking about it. A thing like that really sticks with you.
• I’m obsessed with Christmas. OB. SESSED. They should have it more often, really.